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Activists Mimic Legendary Love Parade Festivals for Demonstration

Activist Jens Hohmann submitted an application to German authorities to hold a techno parade in July as a demonstration. The motto of the event would be "parade of love." While not intended as a revival of the Love Parade events that took place annually in Berlin from 1989-2010, the demonstration would be borrowing from its themes in order to create an environment of tolerance and togetherness while attracting the masses. Ten moving floats would travel from Alexanderplatz to Kreuzberg featuring live DJs among other entertainment.

According to Hohmann, the purpose of the parade will be to raise awareness of Germany’s marginalized populations. ”A traditional demonstration might attract 50 to 100 people, but with music we can reach so many more," said Hohmann. Each Love Parade event was free to the public as overhead expenses were covered by sponsorship deals. As such, an unprecedented 1,400,000 people were estimated to have attended the 2010 edition. While Hohmann’s parade will not seek out sponsors, they will mimic the model by remaining free to the public.

The Love Parade events were discontinued after 2010 due to a crowd rush in Duisburg resulting in the deaths of 21 attendees. Hohmann and the other organizers of the 2015 parade are considering holding a moment of silence out of respect for those lost in the accident.